One of the biggest questions for new Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen when he took this job didn’t pertain to culture or coaching.
It solely pertained to the looming Memorial Stadium renovation project, a brainchild of his predecessor, Trev Alberts. When he was introduced less than a month ago, Dannen admitted that there was much for him to learn.
Since then, he has seen what we all see with the aging Memorial Stadium. When he walked into the famed stadium for last week’s spring football scrimmage, some things caught his eye.
“There are things that need to be done inside that stadium,” Dannen said to the Lincoln Journal Star and KETV after the Nebraska Board of Regents meeting Friday. “Chairbacks, upgrading the club facilities, some ADA work. There’s restrooms and concessions, wireless, there’s a lot of things that I think everybody’s known, but it’s already very obvious to me that that needs to be done. A lot of those things monetize themselves. I think if you look at any project it’s its ability to pay for itself, whether it’s through donor gifts upfront or whether it’s through monetizing those improvements to pay for whatever debt you have to take on. You have to look at it in that context.
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“But it’s obvious. The stadium is a gem. Like any good facilities, and Nebraska has great facilities, you have to keep them up and you have to make them appropriate for the times that lie ahead, not just relish the fact that they were appropriate for the times that lie behind.”
Beyond that, though, Dannen is still “listening and learning” about the full scope of the proposed $450 million project.
“There’s a lot to balance as you look at this,” Dannen said. “Not just as a project in isolation but how does it relate to the entire department interacting with the future of what college athletics is going to be here?”
The next step of the Memorial Stadium project was one of three proposals regarding Nebraska Athletics that were before the Board of Regents on Friday.
However, the Memorial Stadium proposal wasn’t anything grandiose. It was a procedural step in the Memorial Stadium renovation project that authorized the payment of $5 million to HDR for “conceptual design work.” Though, this isn’t more money on top of the $450 million that the board approved for the project in October. This $5 million will be coming from that previously approved pool.
Interim President Chris Kabourek stressed that no work on this next phase would be done until the detailed financial plan for construction was brought to the board and approved.
Even if the plan under Dannen deviates from what Alberts envisioned, this step was still important to get the ball rolling on the obvious things that need to be reworked at Memorial.
Thoughts on the other two passed proposals by the Board of Regents on Friday:
Beer and baseball
About time.
In a 5-2 vote, the Board of Regents approved the sale of alcohol during Nebraska baseball and softball games. With the vote occurring on Friday morning, the taps at Haymarket Park were on for Nebraska baseball’s Friday win over Maryland. (And cans were available, too).
As on display Friday were several choices of beer and a couple of different seltzer options available.
To quote Beatrice Regent Rob Schafer, "I believe strongly in treating adults like adults.”
I agree with that.
There’s not a ton of time left for the baseball and softball seasons, so Nebraska is looking at this as a test run for next season. After this weekend, baseball has nine home regular-season games left and softball has four (with a doubleheader).
“I think it’s big for us,” Dannen said of the approval to sell alcohol at the Haymarket complex. “I think just having a month of the season gives us a chance to make sure operationally we’re doing it in the right way. Then go back to the drawing board next season, do it the right way for the full season. It’s a great amenity, and it’s going to help the park because we will be a beneficiary.”
How will Nebraska benefit? The profit share from Nebraska games — estimated at $150,000 to $160,000 — will go back into capital improvements for the complex.
With alcohol now for sale at Nebraska basketball and Nebraska baseball/softball, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before booze will flow for athletic contests at Memorial Stadium and the Devaney Sports Center.
If I had to make an estimated guess, Devaney would probably come before Memorial Stadium because there’s more space at Devaney for additional vendors. Memorial Stadium, I feel like that would need to be worked into the renovation plan to create the space for it regularly.
Osborne Legacy Complex
No discussion was needed on Friday before the regents unanimously approved naming the new football facility after coach Tom Osborne.
The Osborne Legacy Complex is the third thing to be named after Osborne on Nebraska’s campus, joining Tom Osborne Field in Memorial Stadium and the Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex. There, of course, is also the Osborne and Brook Berringer statue that currently stands in front of the North Stadium doors and the plaque commemorating the accomplishments of Osborne and Bob Devaney located near the southwest side of the stadium.
It’s a no-brainer, really.
The idea didn’t come out of nowhere. It was publicly floated in March by coach Matt Rhule. Speaking after athletic director Trev Alberts had left, Rhule said Alberts was working toward that before his departure. And Rhule was in complete favor of the idea saying on March 18, “My hope is that at some point it’s named after Coach Osborne and his family legacy.”
Seems like Rhule may have been onto something with the name, considering that’s precisely what the building will be called.
On Friday, Dannen said, “I don’t think there’s enough buildings to put Coach Osborne’s name on. It was the first visit I made off campus when I got here. Coach was the first phone call I made when I took the athletic director’s job. I know what he’s done. Talking about a man who’s left a legacy. And the fact that we could honor him with, in this case, what I think is the best, not just a football facility because there’s space in there for all student-athletes, the best support facility — bar none. His name should be on the best.”
With the football complex now named after Osborne, it’s easy to wonder what will be next on the list of naming things after legendary people.
The indoor track at the Devaney Center doesn’t bear a name. The new outdoor track to the building’s north doesn’t bear a name, either. With Gary Pepin retiring in 2022, it feels only natural and right to name one of those venues after him. (My vote would be the indoor track since he actually coached meets in there for two-plus decades.)
The Husker Bowling Center on East Campus is named merely that. How about putting Bill Straub’s name on it?
The pool at the Devaney Center doesn’t bear a name, either. It’s just “the Devaney Center Natatorium.” When longtime coach Pablo Morales retires, will it be named after him?
The list goes on. John Cook. Rhonda Revelle. John Walker. Mark Manning. All of them have had an undeniable impact on their respective sports in the two-plus decades they’ve been at Nebraska. How do you commemorate their respective legacies whenever they decide to hang it up?